Hawaii - James Michener [124]
"Amen," Captain Janders said.
After prayers, Abner visited Jerusha, still bedridden, and shared a banana with her. When she protested that it was this which was keeping her abed, he pleaded: "We are placing our destiny in the hands of God tonight. Please bear with me, beloved companion, and if we pass the barrier tomorrow, you will not have to eat any more bananas."
"Is that a sacred promise?" she asked.
"It is," he assured her. So she mastered her gorge, felt her husband's firm hand on her stomach, and ate.
At four o'clock in the morning the entire ship met for prayers, and after the missionaries had spoken long, Captain Janders prayed, "Lord, get us through."
It was not yet five when Abner and John rowed ashore with their six regular towing companions, and the small craft edged its way into the main channel, but when the rope men were hauled back on-board, Abner announced: "This day I want to pray on deck."
"Lash yourself to the mast," Janders grunted. To Collins he said, "The waves are as big as ever, but the sea is steadier and we have a wind we can cut into."
"As good a day as we'll get," the mate calculated.
"We’re away!" Janders cried, and the Thetis probed far out to sea, well south of the Four Evangelists and into the wildest part of the ocean.
These were the hours of decision. Two days ago the problem had been to ride with the helpful wind from the stern, trying to accumulate sufficient speed to penetrate the massive waves. Now the wind was full in the face, and the Thetis had to tack first north, then south, then north, trying always to gain a few hundred yards of purchase in the sea, so that on one great burst to the north the tiny brig would at last clear the Evangelists. The grave danger involved was that on the vital run to the north, the Thetis would not hold its advantage, but would be swept sideways by the waves, and onto the rocks, crashing in final and hopeless destruction.
The hours of early morning passed, and the Thetis made one fruitless tack after another. Often on her beam ends, she fought vainly for leverage against the sea, but Abner could feel her slipping away, back toward Desolation Island, away from the line of safety that would permit a long tack past the Four Evangelists.
The hours of midday came and went, and the little brig fought on. Now she gained a mile and entered a more turbulent part of the ocean, where the full and mighty Pacific lashed out at her, and the timbers creaked and the masts swayed and Abner watched the whiskered face of Captain Janders, peering ahead, calculating the wind.
At three in the afternoon the pounding became almost unbearable on deck, and all not lashed down would have been washed away by the gigantic seas, so that Abner prayed, "Dear God, care for those below. Let the air they breathe be sweet." And he could smell the foul air of the staterooms and pitied the missionaries.
At four o'clock, but with no fear of encroaching dusk, for the summer sun would not set till nearly ten, the position of the Thetis was perilous. For Captain Janders was required either to stand farther out to sea and thus surrender all hope of running safely back to Desolation Island, or to abandon this day's attempt. He was loath to do the latter, because he had got closer to position than ever before, so for some minutes in the height of the gale he pondered.
"There's only half a mile more of turbulence," he shouted to Mister Collins.
"Hardly that, sir."
"Do you keep your eye on the Evangelists?" Janders cried.
"I do, sir."
"How many points more to windward must we head to pass the rocks, Mister Collins?"
"Three, sir."
"Can we hold such a course?"
The question was an unfair one, and both Janders and Collins knew it, for the captain was trying to tempt his mate into making the ultimate life-or-death decision. Mister Collins looked doggedly ahead and said nothing.
"Can you ease her three points into the wind,